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Preseason Top 25: No. 22 North Florida Christian

January 7, 2016

By Justin Burgess
Florida Area Scout

As we approach the end of the first week of releasing the preseason top 25 team rankings, three teams have been ranked and we now look to narrow our scope on the 22nd-ranked program in Florida. The schools that have been ranked so far—Olympia, Plant, and Lake Brantley—are all larger public schools that reap the benefits of having approximately 3,000 students, which ultimately leads to a tremendous turnout at their annual tryouts. The team we will be breaking down today is a much smaller school who has had immense success in recent years and has won multiple state championships.

The North Florida Christian Eagles will be returning LHP Cole Ragans who is signed with Florida State and should be a high draft pick in June. The 6-foot-4 lefty shows off an advanced three pitch arsenal with a loose arm that produces a fastball up to 92-93 mph. A team that possesses an ace who has a legitimate chance of throwing a no-hitter every time he steps on the mound is obviously a huge advantage. That being said, the Eagles lost another ace to graduation this past year as Cole Sands is now pitching for Florida State. That 1-2 combination of Sands and Ragans (or Ragans and Sands) gave the Eagles arguably the best starting pitching rotation in the state a year ago.

Even though Sands is now an alumni of NFC, this season and the next couple of years look bright for the Eagles as they boast a couple of athletic and talented two-way underclassmen. 2018 INF/RHP Matthew Dickey will be looking to build off an impressive freshman season where he shined on both the mound and at the plate. He also has grown and gotten stronger over the last year as his fastball is now easily ran up into the upper-80s and the ball is really beginning to explode off his bat.

Another key piece for the Eagles will only be a freshman this season. Brandon Walker is a gifted athlete who is by now well-known around the world of Florida baseball. In uniform and on field Walker easily can pass for a junior as he possesses a strong and physical frame that is not normally seen on a freshman. His actions both on the mound and at the plate are both smooth and effortless as he possesses a loose, whippy arm and a smooth swing. He has a plus arm and power for his age and after one sees him play they will understand why he is one of the top 2019 players in the country. Look for Walker to make a big impact on the mound, at the plate, and in the infield this season.

North Florida Christian is looking to slightly improve upon their 2015 season that ended in a loss to Westminster Christian in the 3A state championship. However, this season the Eagles have been relocated to in a new district in Class 2A, which will almost certainly improve their chances of obtaining their third state title in the last six years.